Zoe Moffatt
Romsey and Lancefield residents are calling on Macedon Ranges council and the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) to improve local walking tracks after damage from previous years.
A petition to repair the Romsey Lancefield Walking Track, Five Mile Creek Track and DEECA-managed Lancefield Park Recreation Reserve was launched on April 22, and about 35 residents have responded so far.
Romsey resident Kevin Fothergill said the tracks are in need of repair from the flood damage caused last year, but the Five Mile Creek Track has been damaged for about five years.
“[It’s] been a source of concern for residents for a while,” Mr Fothergill said.
“Five Mile Creek track was damaged about five years ago … the others weren’t too bad before the 2022 floods.
“[The tracks] are usable but they’re a bit risky for people, particularly for elderly people … [they are] badly in need of repair from flood damage.”
Mr Fothergill said it is an inconvenience to not be able to access the tracks as they offer a nice area for residents to walk.
“What it means for particularly younger people with young children and dog walkers … [is that] you are ducking around puddles, [and] there’s quite a lot of soft grounds and lumpy sections,” he said.
“It’s a very popular walk … I have heard reports that people have had falls [there].”
In response to the petition, one resident said they felt Romsey was the forgotten town of the Macedon Ranges.
Another respondent said: “Lancefield [and] Romsey are growing family towns that need funding to support family activities, and basics such as the walking tracks should be a priority for safe family fun“.
Mr Fothergill said they have recently approached Macedon MP Mary-Anne Thomas but would like to see a clear allocation for the repair of the tracks in councils budget
“We’d like to see a clear budget allocation… We’d like that to be brought forward and to have council approach government for funding,” he said.
Council’s acting assets and operations director, Simon Finlay, said he appreciates the importance of these trails to the public and council is committed to repairing them as soon as possible.
“The Romsey-Lancefield trail (Federation Trail) and the Five Mile Creek Track in Romsey sustained damage during the October 2022 flooding event,” Mr Finlay said.
“Council [put] in place temporary closures and signage soon after for the safety of the public … [and] completed temporary emergency repairs to both trails late last year using existing budget.”
Mr Finlay said council sought funding from the existing federal and state disaster relief funding program but the tracks were deemed ineligible transport assets.
“The track repairs require additional funding and following advocacy by council, we are hopeful that additional disaster funding … may come from the … upcoming budget announcements.”
Mr Fothergill said the Lancefield Park Track at the reserve is also in need of repair following flood damage, but the track is a responsibility of park management, not council.
DEECA said the Lancefield Park Recreation Reserve is under management of a locally appointed committee of management and sustained damage from the recent floods.
An application for a flood recovery grant from DEECA was put in by the committee, and they will be notified of the outcome by June.
